Spirit Desire

Spirit Desire are a four-piece indie/emo/punk band from Toronto, Ontario that formed in 2015. They released a demo that same year, which was followed by two full-lengths, the latest of which came out in 2022. I don't really know what else to say, besides No One Makes Me Laugh As Hard As You is one of the most brilliantly ecclectic and versatile albums in recent memory, with strong performances and incredibly memorable songs across its entire track list. Virtually every song shifts gears, but in a way that still somehow flows together, as they approach each song in a unique yet effortless fashion. Whether it be the the blown-out self-deprecating "Lovelines (Bug Song)", the acoustic noodling and sing-along of "Pelmo Crescent", the screamy climax of "Adventures" or the jittery energy of "The Sweater Song, Part 2: Even Sweatier". this album is chalk full of highlights. There's nothing concrete to even compare it to, its that varied. My suggestion is to just check it out for yourself, it scratches so many of the itches that this blog usually covers. Highly recommended, enjoy!

Demo (2015)

1. Going To Taco Bell

2. I H8 My Job

3. Hollow

4. Donut Run

5. Tom Cruise

6. Guy Fieri

7. Don't Live Like Me

8. Life Blows

Adrian (2017)

1. (Theme To "Adrian")

2. Going To Denny's

3. My Fieri

4. Surfy Turfy

5. Side By Side

6. IDC

7. Donut Run 2: Still Runnin'

8. Terry Crews

9. Drop It Like It's Hot

10. Game of Pricks

11. Life Blows (And Then You Die)

Promo 2020 (2020)

1. Bro! We Did It! (Demo)

2. Bat Song (Demo)

3. May 30th, 2018

Live 2020 (2021)

1. Tape Dub Intro + Bro! We Did It! (Live)

2. Bug Song (Live)

3. Adventures (Live)

4. Tombstoned (Live)

5. Drop It Like It's Hot (Live)

6. Tape Dub Outro + Extra Jam

7. IDC + My Fieri (Live At Houndstooth)

Houndstooth Promo (2021)

1. It Is What It Is (Demo)

2. Tiny Jam

3. Bobby

No One Makes Me Laugh As Hard As You (2022)

1. The Sweater Song, Part 2: Even Sweatier

2. A Streetcar Named Spirit Desire

3. Pelmo Crescent

4. Lovelines (Bug Song)

5. Shy Guy

6. Grange Park Lawn Darts

7. Bro! We Did It!

8. Good Riddance!!!

9. Adventures

10. Tombstoned

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Growing Fins

Growing Fins are a four-piece emo band from Toronto, Ontario that formed in 2015. Thus far, they've released two fantastic EP's, with their most recent being a self-titled release that came out in the summer of 2021. This band plays an energetic, heavily math rock-inspired style of midwest emo, with some frenzied fretwork and some gruff yet melodic vocals that often push into screamo territory. If you're a fan of bands including Gulfer, Macseal, You Blew It!, Tiny Moving Parts, or 1994! you should absolutely check out Growing Fins. Their self-titled EP in particular is incredible, and the rambunctious opener "Ogilvie" and epic finale of "...and then I hotboxed my washroom." are worth the price of admission alone. Enjoy.

Oakcrest (2016)

1. Pizza Elbow

2. The Party Planning Comittee

3. Scotland

Growing Fins (2021)

1. Ogilvie

2. Highway To Heck

3. Caelin's House

4. Yikes (Pt. 1)

5. Pronounced Liked Nikes (Pt. 2)

6. ...and then I hotboxed my washroom

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Boxcutter

Boxcutter are a three-piece screamo band from Toronto, Ontario that formed in 2022. They put out their debut EP that same year. It's a raw recording in the best sense, capturing the band's cutting guitar and pounding rhythm section in its most organic essence. They often tread the light between melody and abrasion, with an insanely heartfelt vocal delivery and incredible lyrics to boot. It's an incredible document that I think captures the appeal of screamo, which is found in its vulnerability and kinetic energy. I don't know if that makes any sense, but this band is not to be missed and I highly recommend giving them a listen. Enjoy.

it's more like embracing (2022)

1. the surface of lake ontario lies below the bottom of lake erie

2. navier stokes would have a field day with this one

3. at 6:45am i saw your ghost by my bedroom window

4. quetiapine is a beautiful name for a girl

5. a girl is a knife

What Good Does Getting Angry Do? (2023)

1. Treehouse Of Horror - Jeff The Killer

2. Please Don't Crash - Quiet 

3. boxcutter - stray

4. Treehouse Of Horror - Ben Drowned

5. Please Don't Crash - Cut Off My Hands

6. boxcutter - she/her/hearse

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Treehouse Of Horror

Treehouse Of Horror are a three-piece emo/screamo band from Toronto, Ontario that formed in 2021. Following a single demo, their debut EP came out in October of last year. This band plays an energetic style of twinkly emo, with tons of tight instrumental interplay amidst the expected clean noodley bits.  The dual vocals are also a major highlight as an additional dynamic layer, and as they often veer into screamo territory with some impassioned execution. It's a solid EP I'd definitely recommend checking out if you're a fan of bands like Grown Ups, Hightide Hotel, CSTVT, or Merchant Ships, and look forward to what this band does next. Enjoy.

See you next Tuesday - Demo (2021)

1. See you next Tuesday - Demo

Songs We Wrote (2022)

1. See You Next Tuesday

2. Catnip

3. Joan Of Arc

4. Sadgasm

What Good Does Getting Angry Do? (2023)

1. Treehouse Of Horror - Jeff The Killer

2. Please Don't Crash - Quiet 

3. boxcutter - stray

4. Treehouse Of Horror - Ben Drowned

5. Please Don't Crash - Cut Off My Hands

6. boxcutter - she/her/hearse

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Shoulder

Shoulder were a four-piece emo/post-hardcore band from London, Ontario that formed in 1994 and ended in 1997. They only released one LP, 1995's Touch, which is an underrated classic in the world of 90's emo. Sonically, they bridged the gap between the intensive angularity of Dischord bands such as Jawbox, Hoover, and Rites of Spring with the emerging melody of the midwest emo scene pioneered by bands like Split Lip and Endpoint. It's passionate, vulnerable, and energetic, while being dynamic enough to remain engaging. What more could you want from a band? The LP also features multiple interludes of fingerpicked acoustic guitar, which provides a unique flow not found on any other record of its time. Following the band's end, three of its four member regrouped in 1999 to form Constantines, a very well-known and well-renowned band in Canadian indie rock.

I highly recommend checking out this post on Abridged Pause. It delves deeper into their history, with changing members, release information, and more. It's also what provided a ton of the downloads here, as they also shared a ton of the band's discography, which was sparing before (songs from some sessions only ended up being released sporadically across various compilations). So full credit to them, and enjoy!

Demo (1995)

1. Burning The Day

2. Surrounding

3. Positions

4. Outlive

Basement Recordings (1995)

1. Funny Shit

2. The Woods

3. Twenty-One

Touch (1995)

1. Touch

2. Old School Falling

3. Unlisted

4. Buried Deep

5. Unlisted

6. Water Level

7. Dry Eyes

8. Unlisted

9. Burn Away

10. Unlisted

11. Stained Glass

12. Chipped Paint

13. Unlisted

14. Second Hand

Kindling Recording Session (1996)

1. Kindling

2. Body

3. This Is Not An Exit

4. Progressive Movement

5. Flower Drum Song

Shoulder (1996)

1. Kindling

2. Body

Morning Again/Shoulder (1996)

1. Shoulder - Flower Drum Song

2. Morning Again - Cradle Of Empty Promise

3. Morning Again - Martyr

Last Show (1997)

1. Progressive Movement

2. Body

3. EastEnd

4. Flower Drum Song

5. Old School Falling

6. Kindling

7. Water Level

8. Owned And Operated

9. Outlive

10. Chipped Paint

11. Second Hand

Abridged Pause

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Vicious Cycle

Vicious Cycle were a four-piece hardcore punk band from Sudbury, Ontario that were around from 2005 to 2010. They released three EP's, one LP, and a single in that time. I'm aware I say this far too often, but Vicious Cycle are truly a criminally underrated band that put out one of the finest albums hardcore has to offer in the past 15 years. Their first few releases were pure OG hardcore, with an meshed influence of bands including Zero Boys and Poison Idea. By Pale Blue Dot, they were able to craft one of the most intensive and energetic records I've ever heard. It's one I find myself returning to time and time again, thanks to its raw, guttural intensity, unique production, and incredibly memorable songs. It's equal parts Minor Threat and Fugazi with a garage rock garnish. This was "forward-thinking" at its finest. That visceral aggression is maintained throughout, only taking occassional detours with some noisy, atmospheric interludes. Alexisonfire's George Pettit even makes an appearance on here. Highly, highly recommended, enjoy.

Vicious Cycle (2006)

1. Germ

2. Dog On A Leash

3. Self Abuse

4. Assembly Line

5. Vicious Cycle

6. Brain Damaged

7. Aged And Confused

I'm Watching You (2007)

1. Annoy

2. Bent

3. Terminate

4. Boring Face

5. Negative Space

6. I'm Watching You

Neon Electric (2008)

1. Hail The Bouncer

2. Neon Electric

3. Nothing Special

4. Stepping Back

Killed By Trash 2 (2009)

1. I Hate Cops

Pale Blue Dot (2009)

1. No Escape

2. Blur

3. The Waiting

4. Black Dot

5. In Tranquility

6. Death

7. Vertigo

8. Gamma Ray

9. Heaven Or Hell

10. For Carl

11. Pale Blue Dot

12. Rebirth

13. Farewell

Numbers b/w 'Over The Edge' (2010)

1. Numbers

2. Over The Edge (Wipers cover)

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I Spoke

I Spoke were a four-piece screamo band from Toronto, Ontario that were active from 2002 to 2005, with reunion shows occurring in 2012. Their output was fairly limited, though thankfully documented via their Bandcamp. They put out two EP's in 2003, though recorded more material that went unreleased for years (Destroying A Masterpiece, The Forgotten EP). The band underwent a change in vocalist at the end of that year, with no new material surfacing until 2005. They put out splits with Panserbjorne and Beaumont Hotel. All their material on those splits and more culminated in the release of Autobiography. Sonically, the band made frequent use of subdued, melancholic arpeggios with sporadic breaks of all-out tremolo-heavy emoviolence assault. This was paired with a screamed, forlorn vocals, often delivering lyrics that touched upon some overt politial subject matter. They can be loosely compared to bands such as City Of Caterpillar, I Would Set Myself On Fire For You, and Cease Upon The Capitol, though with significantly shorter song runtimes. Enjoy.

Faith In Chaos (2003)

1. You Broke My Heart... So I Cut Your Breaklines

2. Why Make Sense, When Art Is Dead?

3. Lies My Parents Told Me That I Still Believe To This Day

4. The Demons That Live Inside My Statue Of The Virgin Mary

5. Returning The Bullets Once Lodged In My Body To Wal-Mart

6. Random Beatings By Lee Majors

Destroying A Masterpiece (2003)

1. Destroying A Masterpiece

A Collective Journey (2003)

1. The Firefly Tree

2. Instrumental One

Autobiography (2005)

1. That Which Divides Us

2. Friends Not Fans

3. Untitled

4. Selling The Myth Of Nationalism

5. Ideology Of The Cancer Cell

6. Forgotten Histories, Stolen Lives

7. Exclusion By Language

8. Whose Voice?

The Emo Apocalypse (2006)

29. Is Dead

The Forgotten EP (2012)

1. 13 Ways To View A Cardboard City

2. An Obvious Statement

3. Rapid Eye Movement

4. Stepping Through Consciousness

Note: Recorded in 2003 but unreleased until 2012

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Grade

 

Grade are a five-piece hardcore/emo band from Burlington, Ontario that began in 1994 and initially broke up in 2002, before reuniting for shows in 2006, and ha,ve been fully reformed since 2009, though less active than in their formative years. They technically began in 1992 under the name Incision, but after a few line-up changes they finalized as Grade in 1994, with their debut LP coming out a year later. After three more albums, other assorted releases, and some relentless touring, they disbanded in 2002. They reunited in 2009 to record new material, as well as sporadically tour and play shows. 

Sonically, this band is often praised as being pioneers of the hardcore/emo blend that would become more widely popular in the 2000's. They developed a strong following, but never got any widespread recognition, thus why words like "underrated" and "influential" are often thrown their way. Rightly so, I might add. The band had the unique ability to blend metallic riffs of hardcore heavies like Chokehold with the more melodic, cathartic octave-chord crescendos of early emo bands like Evergreen or Sunny Day Real Estate. They were also one of the earliest bands to incorporate both screamed and cleanly sung vocals, a sound that again wouldn't become widespread until the next decade. If you're looking for a place to start with this band, Under The Radar is probably their most popular album, though I've always been partial to the rawer sound of And Such Is Progress. In regards to their discography, everything is below is near-complete, though there are a few minor things missing. Most notably some compilation tracks, as well as the early Afterthought single and Incision split, though all tracks from those two releases do appear elsewhere here. Enjoy!

Grade/Believe (1994)

1. Grade - Cripple

2. Grade - Choda

3. Grade - Impulse

4. Grade - Hairdie

5. Grade - Digga Digga Song

6. Grade - Classified

7. Grade - Melodic Song

8. Grade - Entangled

9. Believe - Pot O' Gold

10. Believe - Drowning

11. Believe - Last Chances

12. Believe - Second Coming

13. Believe - Joel's Song

14. Believe - Escape

15. Believe - Regret

And Such Is Progress (1995)

1. Weave

2. Miracle Ear

3. CFNY

4. Bedhead

5. Tearjerk

6. Hive

7. Pocket Rocket

8. And Such Is Progress

Grade (1996)

1. Chancre

2. Not Heroic

3. Abandon The Need

Separate The Magnets (1997)

1. Conceptualizing Theories In Motion

2. Symptoms Of Simplifying The Simplistic

3. The Adaption Of Means

4. Life Gets In The Way Of Living

5. To Illustrate And Design New Parameters

6. The Joy Of Stupidity

7. The Tie That Binds

Triumph & Tragedy (1999)

1. Triumph & Tragedy

2. Stolen Bikes Ride Faster

3. Panama (Van Halen cover)

Under The Radar (1999)

1. The Inefficiency Of Emotion

2. For The Memory Of Love

3. Seamless

4. The Tension Between Stillness And Motion

5. Victims Of Mathematics

6. A Year In The Past, Forever In The Future

7. The Worst Lies Are Told In Silence

8. Second Chance At First Place

9. Stolen Bikes Ride Faster

10. When Something Goes To Your Head

11. Triumph and Tragedy

The Embarrassing Beginning (2000)

1. Cripple

2. Punk Rock Song

3. Impulse

4. Hairdie

5. Digga Digga Song

6. Classified

7. Instrumental Song

8. Entangled

9. Afterthought (Demo)

10. The Tension Between Stillness & Motion (Demo)

11. Triumph & Tragedy (Acoustic)

12. Stolen Bikes Ride Faster

13. Panama (Van Halen cover)

14. A Year In The Past (Radio Version)

15. Seamless (Acoustic Version)

Note: Compilation including songs from the Grade/Believe split, Triumph & Tragedy

Headfirst Straight To Hell (2001)

1. Termites Hollow

2. Becoming Not Being

3. In The Wake Of Poseidon

4. Bleeding Warm & Newly Dead

5. Overthrowing Creation Itself

6. Little Satisfactions

7. Vertical Transmission

8. Will Bending

9. In Ashes We Lie

10. Sixth Chamber

11. The Empress

12. Twenty Moons

13. Winds Of Hell / The Glorious Dead

At Both Ends (2009)

1. Bane - Non-Negotiable

2. Bane - Struck Down By Me

3. Grade - These Eyes Are On The Exit

4. Grade - Optical Portions

5. Unrestrained - Immaculate Deception 

6. Unrestained - Anak Krakatau

7. Between Earth And Sky - Skin And Stone 

8. Between Earth And Sky - Flow

Collapsed Lungs (2014)

1. Collapsed Lungs

2. Unstoppable Force vs. Immovable Object

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Arm's Length

Arm's Length are a three-piece emo/alternative band from Quinte West, Ontario (Belleville/Trenton area for other Ontarians) that have been around since at least 2019 (as early as I can tell, at least). The band's latest release, Everything Nice came out earlier this year, and I have been meaning to share this for the past month, just getting around to get back to the blog until now. Sorry about that, but glad to come back to share this incredible release from a band not too far from me.

I've actually been having some trouble coming up with an accurate description for this band, since they don't fit in an exact niche to be compared to. Not to mention, this band sounds like they've been around for years, so this still being the early jumping off point in their tenure is absolutely astounding. Fans of bands like Balance And Composure, Daisyhead, and The Hotelier will certainly dig this, but there's also a lot of homage to the 2000's brand of popular emo/pop punk acts which I harbor no ill-will towards, but am too inexperienced with to make specific band comparisons.

What I do know is Everything Nice is an incredible effort of unique songwriting and dynamic musicianship, and a release I would highly recommend to fans of the more noteworthy acts posted on this blog. Even though I can't exactly put my finger on it, I know this is right up that alley, and a stark reminder that in 2021 emo is far from dead. Enjoy.

loathe early demo (2019)

1. loathe early demo

What's Mine Is Yours (2019)

1. Watercolour

2. Talking With My Hands Again

3. Loathe

4. Blank Slate

Everything Nice (2021)

1. Theme Song

2. No Sleep

3. Gallows Humour

4. Safer Sleep

5. Eve (Household Name)

6. Garamond

Never Before Seen, Never Again Found (2022)

1. Overture

2. Object Permanence

3. Aries (Moth Song)

4. Tough Love

5. Formative Age

6. Muscle Memory

7. Playing Mercy

8. Everything As I Knew It

9. In Loving Memory

10. Family And Friends

11. Dirge

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